Headlines - 03.01.2018

• Collaku: Kosovo army in the first half of 2018 (Koha Ditore)
• KSF to discuss its transformation with Kosovo Serb politicians (Koha)
• Ymeri resigns Vetevendosje leader’s post (Koha)
• “If demarcation does not pass in January, there is no visa liberalization” (Lajmi)
• Pacolli: Bulgaria to support Kosovo joining international organisations (Koha)
• Serbian List requests Association (Kosova Sot, RFE)
• Haxhiu: We will not go at the court session (RTK)
• Tahiri: Kosovo will cooperate with the Special Court (Indeksonline)
• Serbia expects internationals’ intervention in Kosovo (Kosova Sot, Tanjug)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

Collaku: Kosovo army in the first half of 2018 (Koha Ditore)

President of Kosovo’s chief of staff, Bekim Collaku, told the paper that Kosovo army could have been created last year was it not for the insistence of strategic partners to go through the process of constitutional changes. Collaku said however that the efforts to ensure inclusiveness are drawing to an end. “We will not wait indefinitely,” Collaku said adding that the first half of this year is a suitable time to finalise the process of Kosovo army. “We have no time to lose and Kosovo needs its own army,” Collaku underlined.

KSF to discuss its transformation with Kosovo Serb politicians (Koha)

Kosovo Security Force Ministry is to launch intensive talks with Serb political representatives to reach a concrete agreement on the future of KSF, said Minister Rrustem Berisha. He said that the aim of the meeting with Serbian List MPs and leaders is to secure consensus on transforming the KSF into an armed force through constitutional changes.

Ymeri resigns Vetevendosje leader’s post (Koha)

Visar Ymeri announced he was resigning all leading functions in the Vetevendosje Movement, less than a month after the publication of phone chat between party members. In a press conference yesterday, Ymeri said he was stepping down due to the increasing problems within Vetevendosje. “Unfortunately, this last year began to eat at the foundations of three main pillars of our organization. We have faced a systematic campaign of slander, insinuation, lynching and all sort of labeling,” Ymeri said adding that those who employed these practices always referenced Albin Kurti.

“If demarcation does not pass in January, there is no visa liberalization” (Lajmi)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, told Lajmi.net that Kosovo people are in danger of remaining isolated also in 2019, if the agreement for demarcation of the border with Montenegro is not ratified at the Assembly in January. Hoxhaj requested consensus of political parties on national matters, such as demarcation, which remains the main criteria for visa liberalization. “It is the prime time for the governing and opposition political parties to vote the agreement and to move forward by liberalizing visas for the citizens,” Hoxhaj said.

Pacolli: Bulgaria to support Kosovo joining international organisations (Koha)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, said he was hopeful that Bulgaria, now presiding over the Council of the EU, will continue to support Kosovo in its Euro-Atlantic path. In a Facebook post, Pacolli wrote that Bulgarian presidency over the EU is a good news not only for Kosovo but for the whole Western Balkans region.

Serbian List requests Association  (Kosova Sot, RFE)

Igor Simic, Kosovo Assembly MP from the Serbian List, said the main priority of his political party for 2018 is establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities. He told Radio Free Europe that his community expects solution of problems that they face.

Haxhiu: We will not go at the court session  (RTK)

The verdict on the four accused Vetevendosje Movement MPs, for throwing teargas at the Assembly, will be brought today. However, Albulena Haxhiu from this group, took to Facebook to write that the four accused MPs will not be participating at the court session which according to her, will be bringing a “political verdict.” She wrote that the justice system in Kosovo is caught up and added that “no matter the sentences that we might receive, we will always act on defense of the country.”

Tahiri: Kosovo will cooperate with the Special Court  (Indeksonline)

Kosovo’s Justice Minister, Abelard Tahiri, told Indeksonline that Kosovo will cooperate with the Special Court. “Kosovo’s Specialist Chambers are established through Constitutional and legal changes endorsed by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. Therefore, Kosovo’s respective institutions, in accordance with their mandate, will cooperate in order to assure fair and transparent process in accordance with the highest human rights norms and standards.

Serbia expects internationals’ intervention in Kosovo (Kosova Sot, Tanjug)

Serbia’s Minister for Internal Affairs, Nebojsa Stefanovic, told Tanjug that Serbia cannot allow for Serbs to be a population that can be killed and tortured while no one is held responsible for this. He added that he expects from the international community to interfere “these threats and especially to hear announcements of the U.S. and European Union,” as according to him, they were the greatest supporters of Pristina.